Anna van der Zwaag, a senior molecular biology/biochemistry major from Worthington, Ohio, takes samples of algae for her Maple Scholar project, in collaboration with the AlgaeTown project.

Fourteen Goshen College students are participating in the Maple Scholars Summer Research Program.

Started in 1998, Maple Scholars is an eight-week program of research, experimentation, analysis and archiving data. It provides an opportunity for students to work closely with faculty advisers to conduct hands-on research throughout the summer. The program welcomes students from all academic majors and areas of study, and projects range from analyzing the pheromones of bees to digging into centuries-old Mennonite World Conference archives.

Students present their findings to one another at a Friday colloquium each week. At the end of the summer, students celebrate their discoveries with a public presentation, reception and banquet.

Garrett Ahlgrim, a senior mathematics and music double major from Indianapolis, and Joel Pepala, a 2014 graduate with a degree in mathematics from Lusaka, Zambia, are working with David Housman, professor of mathematics, to research practical uses for game theory and fair allocation formulas. The students will read math proofs, while also writing their own and critiquing one another’s. By the end of the summer, Ahlgrim and Pepala will have compiled enough original data to write a report that they’ll submit for publication in a mathematics journal.

Chau Bui, a senior broadcasting major from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, is working with Seth Conley, assistant professor of communication, to create, compile and catalog videos about faith. Bui will create a website, blog and digital database for the videos, with the hope that the research be used demonstrating Goshen College as a “faith-mentoring” campus.

Abby Deaton, a senior communication major from Indianapolis, will work with Kyle Hufford, assistant professor of communication and FiveCore Media general manager, to capture and produce videos for The Elkhart Truth, a regional daily newspaper. Deaton will research local stories, conduct in-depth interviews, and create visually engaging videos for The Elkhart Truth website.

James Garcia, a junior chemistry major from Gurnee, Ill., will work with Andy Ammons, professor of biology, to research stress pheromones of honeybees. Garcia will monitor bee colonies at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center and on campus, while tracking the ethanol levels in the bees. He will engage in active research by designing his own experiments and writing a research paper.

Kolton Nay, a senior English writing major from Dover, Ohio, is working with Duane Stoltzfus, professor of communication, and Eric Bradley, reference and instruction librarian, to digitize past issues of the college’s campus newspaper, The Record. The Record has been an active news presence on campus for over a century. Nay will be scanning past volumes, performing a content analysis and developing basic metadata for a digital catalog. At the end of the summer, he will prepare and publish a final article about his findings.

Ben Shelly, a junior interdisciplinary major from Goshen, will research ecological restoration at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center with Dave Ostergen, professor of environmental education. Ecological restoration is the practice of renewing damaged ecosystems through human intervention and restoring a healthy relationship between culture and environment. Shelly will conduct research on how ecological restoration and environmental education can foster peacemaking and spirituality.

Jack Shomberg, a sophomore environmental science major from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, will work with Dale Hess, associate professor of agroecology, to research restoration agriculture at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center. Shomberg will focus on finding viable alternatives to corn-soybean rotation agriculture, which is one of the most common forms of agriculture in the Midwest. Shomberg will map a four-acre site, assess plants and insects in forest areas, and monitor plant growth.

Ida Short, a senior art major from Kalona, Iowa, is working with Randy Horst, professor of art, to study self-portraiture in art history for the first half of the summer. The second half will be spent experimenting with various approaches, media and strategies. At the end of the summer, Short will have created a series of four or more self-portraits.

Lauren Treiber, a 2014 graduate with a degree in peace, justice and conflict studies from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is working with Bob Yoder, campus pastor and professor of religion, to develop continuing research on how Goshen College can strengthen its “faith-mentoring” environment. Treiber is creating a survey to send to alumni about their experiences and reflections since graduating and will code and analyze the results. She will interview up to 20 alumni and summarize key findings.

Anna Van der Zwaag, a senior molecular biology/biochemistry major from Worthington, Ohio, will work with Stan Grove, professor ermitus of biology, to further research on the AlgaeTown project, an ongoing project started by GC Biology Department and Formco Inc. in Elkhart. The project researches microalgal biomass as an alternative source of biofuel, animal feed, human food and more. Van der Zwaag will be isolating local microalgae, working with starter cultures, evaluating growth dynamics and operating the photobioreactors.

Liz Wittrig, a senior Bible and religion major from Hopedale, Illinois, and Natalie Hubby, a junior history major from Wauseon, Ohio, will work with John D. Roth, professor of history, to index historical Anabaptist-Mennonite documents according to a particular focus within the collection, depending on their topics of interest. Wittrig and Hubby will catalog the information online for Mennonite Church USA and will assist in writing an essay to be published.

Michael Yoder, a senior informatics and biology double major from Kalona, Iowa, will work with Kris Schmidt, professor of biology, to tag the gene unc-53 with green fluorescent protein in order to determine the expression pattern in C. elegans, a soil nematode. Yoder will research how unc-53 is involved in cell migration, both during and after development.

Twenty-two Goshen College students are spending their summer working with professors on various research projects during the college’s eight-week Maple Scholars program.

The Maple Scholars program gives students the opportunity to participate in independent research projects alongside Goshen College faculty of various disciplines. Each scholar works with a faculty member who serves as both a colleague and a supervisor.

The college’s Maple Scholars program began in 1998. Unlike undergraduate research projects at many larger universities where students work only with graduate students, Maple Scholars work with professors who can answer their questions and guide them in their research and learning. Students also get the chance to share their work together in a colloquium each Friday and engage other students across disciplines.
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Martin Banda, a sophomore molecular biology and biochemistry major from Mishawaka, Ind., is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Kris Schmidt on cell migration and its wide variety of processes, including formation of the nervous system and abnormal cell migration contributing to diseases such as cancer.

Suman Bhandari, a 2013 graduate who majored in molecular biology and biochemistry from Goshen, Ind., is working with visiting Adjunct Professor of Biology Richard Manalis and Jessica Davila, a Goshen College molecular biology/biochemistry and mathematics double major, to research fundamental aspects of learning and memory by recording muscle contractions observed in a frog’s nerves.
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Dennis Chavez, a 2013 graduate who double majored in physics and mathematics from Barnesville, Ohio, is working with Professor Emeritus of Physics Carl Helrich to research the formations of cholesterol supported nystatin channels in relation to membrane biophysics.
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Matthew Chen, a junior physics major from Taiwan, and Aaron Shelly, a 2013 graduate double majoring in physics and mathematics from Bluffton, Ohio, are working with Professor of Physics John Ross Buschert to create a tuning graph for marimba bars. ____________________________________________________________________________

Liz Core, a senior communication major from Pella, Iowa, and Ariel Ropp, a 2013 graduate double majoring in psychology and communication from Schaumburg, Ill., are working with Professor of Communication Duane Stoltzfus to evaluate the first year of publication of the Goshen Commons website (www.goshencommons.org). Goshen Commons, a community news and blog site, is published by the Goshen College Communication Department.
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Abby Deaton, a junior psychology and communication double major from Indianapolis, Ind., is working with FiveCore Media General Manager Kyle Hufford to research the use of video on community blogs.
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Micah Detweiler, a junior music major from Goshen, Ind., is working with Assistant Professor of Music Christopher Fashun to research and apply the pedagogical approaches of the Comprehensive Musicianship Project of Wisconsin (CMP) and the Teaching Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance series to the marching arts.
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Lucas Godshalk, a 2013 graduate who majored in physics from Plymouth, Ind., is working with Associate Professor of Physics Paul Meyer Reimer to research and construct apparatuses to detect and measure elastic waves in thin sheets for comparison.
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Martin Hofkamp, a senior peace, justice and conflict studies major from Peabody, Kan., and Marita Beachy, a 2013 graduate double majoring in elementary education and special education from Shaker Heights, Ohio, are working with Associate Professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Carolyn Schrock-Shenk to prepare an “Inside-Out” curriculum, which brings college students together with incarcerated men and women to study as peers in a seminar behind prison walls. This is the first prison course implementation in Elkhart County.
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Oscar Kirwa, a senior business major from Kenya, is working with Professor of History Jan Bender Shetler, to learn more about the Mara Cultural Digital Library (MCHDL) to connect with schools and communities in Tanzania. He is digitizing interviews and learning about the community’s history, culture, language, education and community development.
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Theodore Kuchar, a sophomore biology major from Ann Arbor, Mich., is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Andy Ammons to set up bee colonies on campus and at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College to perform basic techniques of bee keeping, skilled marking and observing living bees.
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Andrea Moya, a senior social work and psychology double major from Quito, Ecuador, is working with Professor of History Steve Nolt and Associate Academic Dean Tom Meyers to research the Amish population of Northern Indiana through data programs to create a single profile of the community.
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Aradhana Roberts, a 2013 graduate from Mussoorie, India who double majored in biology and environmental science, is working with Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Environmental Education Jonathon Schramm to identify and prioritize emerging invasive plants at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College.

Peter Schrock, a junior mathematics major from Goshen, Ind., and Andy Clemens, a senior math and physics double major from Baltimore, Md., are working with Professor of Mathematics David Housman to research fair allocation by developing a mathematical model of a situation and then defining the fairness properties to suggest allocation methods to aid in determining whether the allocation methods satisfy the defined fairness properties.
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Tessa Yoder, a junior biology and environmental science double major from Goshen, Ind., and Aaron Kauffman, a senior molecular biology and biochemistry major from Goshen, Ind., are working with retired Professor of Biology Stan Grove to test activities and develop protocol for growing multiple strains of algae. Read more about their AlgaeTown project.
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Carina Zehr, a senior environmental science and sociology double major from Foosland, Ill., and Twila Albrecht, a junior journalism and sociology double major from Goshen, Ind., are working with Associate Professor of Sociology David Lind to research the association between relative adherence to agrarianism and other potentially relevant dimensions of people’s lives.

]]>https://www.goshen.edu/news/2013/06/24/22-students-research-alongside-professors-during-summer/feed/0Fourteen students research alongside professors during summerhttps://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/08/09/fourteen-goshen-college-students-research-alongside-professors-during-summer/
https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/08/09/fourteen-goshen-college-students-research-alongside-professors-during-summer/#respondThu, 09 Aug 2012 16:10:25 +0000http://www.goshen.edu/news/?p=5502GOSHEN, Ind. — Fourteen Goshen College students spent the summer working with professors on various research projects during the college’s eight-week Maple Scholars program in June and July.

Maple Scholars gives students the opportunity to participate in independent research projects alongside Goshen College faculty of various disciplines. Each scholar is paired with a faculty member who serves as both colleague and supervisor.

Paul Keim & Marcelle Al-Zoughbi

Marcelle Al-Zoughbi, an elementary education/special education and TESOL double major from Bethlehem, Palestine worked with Professor of Bible and Religion Paul Keim on a project to envision, develop and institute a program of Arabic Studies that embodies the unique ethos of our Anabaptist heritage and equips students for further study and service in the Arab world.

David Housman & Philip Bontrager

Philip Bontrager, a junior informatics major from Goshen, Ind., worked with Professor of Mathematics David Housman on a project developing visualizations to assist in better understanding notions of fairness and their interrelationships in resource allocation problems.

Lisa Horst & Deb Brubaker

Lisa Horst, a 2012 graduate who majored in music education from Goshen, Ind., worked with Professor of Music Debra Brubaker on a project archiving and digitizing field recordings that Professor Emeritus Mary Oyer recorded between 1969 and 1987.

Caleb Hostetler & Kent Palmer

Caleb Hostetler, a senior informatics major from Souderton, Pa., worked with Professor of Informatics Kent Palmer on developing a higher education application for mobile technology.

Rhiannon Jones, a senior biology major from Lafayette, Ind., worked with Professor of Physics Carl Helrich on a project attempting to establish the form of cholesterol structures on phospholipid (biological) membranes experimentally.

Jenna Nofziger & Stan Grove & Nathaniel Tann

Jenna Nofziger, a junior molecular biology/biochemistry major from Archbold, Ohio, and Nathaniel Tann, a 2012 graduate with majors in biology and psychology from East Petersburg, Pa., worked with Professor of Biology Stan Grove on a project generating algal biomass inexpensively enough to allow the derived biofuel to compete with petroleum-based fuels.

Beth Martin Birky & Grace Parker

Grace Parker, a senior English and Bible and religion double major from Wichita, Kan., worked with Professor of English Beth Martin Birky on researching the theme of social justice in the work of Virginia Woolf.

Rebecca Weaver & Lauren Stoltzfus

Lauren Stoltzfus, a senior English writing major from Lancaster, Pa., and Rebecca Weaver, a 2012 graduate with a major in psychology from Harleysville, Pa., worked with Professor of English Ann Hostetler on a project collecting research data on the pedagogy of multicultural literature studied at the college level.

Mara Swartzendruber & Andy Ammons

Mara Swartzendruber, a senior biology major from Albuquerque, N.M., worked with Assistant Professor of Biology Andrew Ammons studied stress on honeybees.

Bob Yoder & Leanna Teodosio

Leanna Teodosio, a junior sociology and Bible and religion major from Lima, Ohio, worked with Campus Pastor Bob Yoder on a project exploring how Goshen College can better support the faith development of students.

Emily Trapp & Bev Lapp

Emily Trapp, a senior music and communications major from Canby, Ore., worked with Professor of Music Beverly K. Lapp on a project analyzing the content of several popular piano methods to determine the balance of creative work and effectiveness of these within the curriculum for developing pianists, with hopes of producing an online resource that summarizes this research to aid piano teachers.

John D. Roth & Kate Yoder

Kate Yoder, a junior art and English writing major from Elkhart, Ind., worked with Professor of History John D. Roth on a project compiling an in-depth bibliography of sources related to Christian martyrdom, the “Martyrs Mirror,” and costly discipleship in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition in preparation for an August international consultation called “Bearing Witness: A New ‘Martyrs Mirror’ for the 21st Century?”

The college’s Maple Scholars program began in 1998. Unlike undergraduate research projects at many larger universities where students work only with graduate students, students in Maple Scholars work with professors who can answer their questions and guide them in their research and learning. Students also get the chance to share their work together in a colloquium each Friday and engage other students across disciplines.

– By Anna Ruth

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

]]>https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/08/09/fourteen-goshen-college-students-research-alongside-professors-during-summer/feed/0Notre Dame professor featured in upcoming Conference on Religion and Sciencehttps://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/03/08/notre-dame-professor-featured-in-upcoming-conference-on-religion-and-science/
https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/03/08/notre-dame-professor-featured-in-upcoming-conference-on-religion-and-science/#respondThu, 08 Mar 2012 21:05:52 +0000http://www.goshen.edu/news/?p=4130GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College’s 12th annual Conference on Science and Religion will be held March 23-25, and will feature Notre Dame theologian and scientist Celia Deane-Drummond. The theme for this year’s conference is “Re-Imaging the Divine Image: Humans and Other Animals.” Deane-Drummond will offer a public lecture on Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m., titled “Re-Imaging the Divine Image: Freedom,” and another on Saturday, March 24 at 10:30 a.m., titled “Re-Imagining the Divine Image: Virtue.” Both lectures will take place in Goshen College’s Church-Chapel.

Deane-Drummond has been professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame since August 2011. Her unique appointment is concurrent between the Department of Theology in the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science. She was elected fellow of the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame in September 2011.

Deane-Drummond graduated with a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge University and obtained a doctorate in plant physiology at Reading University prior to two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and Cambridge University. She subsequently took up a lectureship in plant physiology at Durham University before turning her attention more fully to theological study, obtaining an honors degree in theology and then a doctorate in systematic theology from Manchester University.

During her scientific career Deane-Drummond lectured both nationally and internationally, and published over 30 scientific articles. Since then, she has published numerous articles, books, edited collections and contributions to books, focusing particularly on the engagement of systematic theology and the biological sciences, alongside practical, ethical discussion in bioethics and environmental ethics. She has lectured widely both nationally and internationally on all areas relating theology and theological ethics with different aspects of the biosciences, especially ecology and genetics.

From 2000 to 2011 Deane-Drummond was professor of theology and the biological sciences at the University of Chester, and was director of the Center for Religion and the Biosciences that was launched in 2002. In May 2011, she was elected chair of the European Forum for the Study of Religion and Environment. She was editor of the international journal “Ecotheology” for six years.

Since 1992 Deane-Drummond has published as a single author or as an editor 22 books, as well as 33 contributions to books and 43 articles in areas relating to theology or ethics. Her more recent books include: “Ecotheology” (DLT/Novalis/St Mary’s Press, 2008); “Christ and Evolution: Wonder and Wisdom” (Minneapolis: Fortress/London: SCM Press, 2009); “Creaturely Theology: On God, Humans and Other Animals,” edited with David Clough (London: SCM Press, 2009); “Seeds of Hope: Facing the Challenge of Climate Justice” (London: CAFOD, 2010) and “Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere,” edited with Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (London, Continuum, 2011).

Goshen College’s Religion and Science Conference is designed to provide maximum interaction with one of the principal thinkers in the dialogue between religion and science. A single invited speaker presents three lectures, two of which are open to the public. Small, moderated discussion sessions provide conference participants an opportunity to address topics from the lectures, and others, in conversation with the speaker.

Conference attendants and participants include pastors and interested laypersons, as well as academic scientists, mathematicians, theologians and students. For more information about the conference, visitwww.goshen.edu/religionscience.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

]]>https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/03/08/notre-dame-professor-featured-in-upcoming-conference-on-religion-and-science/feed/0Area schools gather on campus for Science Olympiad Regional Tournament on Feb. 11https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/02/01/area-schools-gather-on-campus-for-science-olympiad-regional-tournament-on-feb-11/
https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/02/01/area-schools-gather-on-campus-for-science-olympiad-regional-tournament-on-feb-11/#respondWed, 01 Feb 2012 20:22:19 +0000http://www.goshen.edu/news/?p=4088GOSHEN, Ind. – Science Olympiad teams from 10 area schools will gather on the Goshen College campus on Saturday, Feb. 11 to compete in over 30 events, ranging from astronomy to food science to rocks, for the annual Science Olympiad Regional Tournament.

Modeled after the Olympic games, participating schools field teams of 15 students, who prepare to compete in a variety of science events at the regional and state competitions. Nearly all of the events are hands-on, making them more meaningful and fun for the students. Volunteers, many of which are Goshen College science students and faculty/staff, will oversee and judge the events.

With approximately 180 students participating, two middle school teams and one high school team will advance to the state tournament. A wild card tournament for teams who almost qualified for the state tournament will be held on Saturday, March 10 at Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette to fill any remaining spots at the state tournament. This year’s state competition will be held at Indiana University Bloomington on Saturday, March 24. The national tournament will be held May 18-19 at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, Fla.

The day will begin with registration, at 7:30 a.m., and a welcome ceremony, at 8:30 a.m., both in the Church-Chapel. The participants will then proceed to compete in various events throughout campus. An awards ceremony at 3:15 p.m. in the Church-Chapel will conclude the day. The Science Olympiad opening and awards ceremonies are open to the community, but some competitions are closed to observers. The competitions will take place in Goshen College’s Music Center, Administration Building, Union Building, Wyse Hall and Science Building.

The teams in Division B (grades six to nine) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, Imagine MASTer Academy, Manchester Junior/Senior High School, Northridge Middle School, South Bend Career Academy, St. Pius X, Catholic School and The Stanley Clark School. Teams in Division C (grades nine to 12) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, John Adams High School, LaPorte High School, Manchester Junior/Senior High School and Mishawaka High School.

The Science Olympiad began in 1983 and involves more than 12,000 schools nationally. For more information and a schedule of the day’s events, contact Professor of Mathematics David Housman at (574) 535-7405 or visitwww.goshen.edu/bio/SciOlymp.

The Goshen College Indiana Science Olympiad is supported by Bayer Healthcare LLC.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.